Folding chair for porch-swings and the like



E. P. 'ELZEY.

FOLDING CHAIR FOR PORCHSWINGS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION H'LED DEC. l5, I919.

1,361,700. Patented Dec. 7,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- E. P. ELZEY.

rowme CHAIR FOR PORCH swmcs AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 15, 1919.

SHEET 2- Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

2 SHEETS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR r. ELZEY, or PARKERSBURG, wns'r VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE AU-TO PLAY GOODS COMPANY, or PARKERSBURG, Wns'r VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION or WEST VIRGINIA.

FOLDING CHAIR FOR PORCH-SWINGS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed December 15, 1919.

T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that. I, EDGAR P. ELznY, a

citizen of the United States of America, and

resident of Parkersburg, Wood county, State of Vest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Chairs for Porch-Swings and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in folding chairs to be used as porch swings and the like; and the objects and nature of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art in the light of the following explanation of the accompanying drawings illustrating what I now believe to be the preferred embodiment from among other constructions within the spirit and scope of my invention.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved chair or seat for swings which may be manufactured of a minimum of material, and which will be of exceedingly simple but durable construction that is capable of being readily folded or knocked down into compact form for easy and convenient handling, storage, and transportation, and which may be instantly and easily set up without skilled assistance, and which when in set up position will be locked against collapse.

The invention consists in certain novel features in construction and in combinations and arrangements as more fully and particularly set forth and pointed out hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my swing chair set up and locked in operative position, the supporting chains for the chair being shown by dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation showing the chair folded for storage or shipment.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the chair in set up position, and showing in dotted lines the position of the chair as. it starts to fold. V

In the particular embodiment illustrated, the chair comprises a back frame and a seat frame having link connections at its rear end with the lower portion oftheback frame, and provided with end bars having pivotal connections at the opposite ends with the front of the seat frame and the upper portion of the back frame respec-v Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

Serial No. 344,786.

tively, the parts being so arranged that when in set up position, the seat frame is supported from the back frame by said link connections and said end bars, suitable suspending means being provided at the respective ends of the latter, with the seat locked in such position by abutment of the rear end of the end bars of the seat frame against the upright end bars of the back frame; and when the chair is to be folded into knock down position, the seat frame is swun outwardly and upwardly and is then olded back parallel to and with its lower side against the backframe, the end bars at the same time folding back so as to overlie the ends of the folded back and seat, to form a collapsed position of very small compass.

In the drawings, a suitable back frame is shown the members of which are rigidly secured together and which comprises upright end bars 1, connected by a top bar 2, and a lower bar 3, and suitable slats 4: between said top and lower bars forming the back proper. The lower bar 3 is preferably so positioned that only approximately the upper half of the frame formed by the end bars 1 is provided with slats to form the back proper. If desired, an intermediate upright bar 5 may be provided at the back of the slats 4 between the top and lower bars 2 and 3.

The bottom frame forming the seat, is of rigid construction and is shown as comprising end bars 6, connected by longitudinal front and rear bars 7 and 8, and a suitable seat bottom secured on said frame, in the present instance, the seat bottom being shown as comprising slats 9. Intermediate cross bars, one of which is shown at 10, may be secured to the longitudinal bars 7 and 8, and to the seat bottom, if desired.

When the chair is in set up position, the bottom frame is arranged in a horizontal position in front of the back frame, with the rear ends of the end bars 6 of the bottom frame, abutting against the uprights 1 of the wardly from abutment against uprights 1, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. '3, and the rear of the bottom frame may then be swung upwardly and the entire bottom frame be swung back until the links 12 assume the substantially upright position shown in Fig. 2, and the bottom frame extends parallel to, and lies against the uprights of the back frame, below the slatted portion 4 of the latter.

The end bars connecting the upper portion of the back and the forward end of the bot tom frame, are similar in construction and dimensions, and are shown as each comprising a bar 15 beyond the respective ends of the back and bottom frames, and each having pivotal connections 16 and 17 at their respective ends, with the uprights 1 near their upper ends, and with the side bars 6 of the bottom frame near their forward ends. The end bars 15 are preferably slightly spaced beyond the ends of the back and bottom frames to prevent binding of the parts when the chair is folded, and for this purpose blocks 18 may be interposed at the pivotal connections 16 and 17 of the end bars, between said end bars and the outer surfaces of uprights 1 and end bars 6.

The end bars 15 are preferably arranged to so supportthe front of the bottom frame when the chair is set up, that the bottom will be substantially at right angles to the back, and furthermore are so positioned as to swing freely with the bottom as it is moved to its folded position, and to extend downwardly in substantially upright position when the chair is folded, beyond the ends of the back and bottom frames as shown in Fig. 2,-so as to protect the ends of said frames and the link connections between the same.

It will be seen that my improved chair when folded as thus described, forms a very compact structure, the back and bottom frames extending alongside one another in parallel relation, and the end bars 15 overlying the ends of said folded frames. When it is desired to set up the chair, it is only necessary to push downwardly and rearwardly upon the rear of the seat frame and the device will at once assume its set up position and maintain the same by abutment of the-seat frame against the back frame.

The chair as thus formed is particularly adapted for use as a porch swing,and for this purpose, the end bars 15 are shown as provided near each end with securing means for suitable supports shown as chains 20, the securing means being instanced as hooks 21, preferably having shanks extending through 'thesend bars and provided with retaining nuts 22. 1

The chains 20 are of such length as to support the chair at the desired height from a'suitable support, such as the roof of a porch, the chains connected to the forward lower ends of bars 15, preferably being of sufficient greater length than the chains connected to the upper rear ends of said bars, as to support the chair with its seat in substantially a horizontal position.

It is evident that various changes, modifications and variations might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of m invention and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact disclosures hereof. V

lVhat I claim is 1. A chair of the character substantially as described, comprising a back, a seat arranged to abut against said back in set up position, and link connections between the lower portion of said back and the rear portion of said seat, the downward and rearward swing of which is limited by the abutment of the seat against the back, and end bars between the upper portion of said back and the front portion of said seat, arranged to support said seat in said set up position and to permit said seat to fold toward said back with its lower side next to said back.

2. A chair of the character described, comprising a back, a seat arranged to abut against front edges of said back in set up position, and depending link connections be tween the lower portion of said back and the rear portion of said seat, and between the upper portion of said back and the front portion of said seat, arranged to support said seat in said set up position and to permit said seat to fold toward said back with its lower side next to said back, said last mentioned link connections overlying the ends of said back and seat and said first mentioned link connections when in said folded position.

3. A chair of the character described, comprising a back, a seat, having its rear edge squarely abutting the front side of 7 said back in set up position, and seat up holding link connections between the lower portion of said back and the rear portion a of said seat, and between the upper portion of said back and the front portion of said seat arranged to support said seat in said set up position and to permit said seat to fold alongside of andsubstantially parallel with said back with the rearedge "of said seat uppermost and with its lower side next to said back.

i. A chair of the character described, comprising a back, a seat arranged to abut against said back in setup position, and link connections between the lower portion of "said back and the rear portion of said,

seat, and between the upper portion of said back and the front portion of said seat, ar ranged to support said seat in said set up position and to permit said seat to fold alongside of and substantially parallel with said back with the rear edge of said seat uppermost and with its lower side next to said back, said first mentioned link connections extending downwardly from said back to said seat when in set up position, and said last mentioned link connections when in folded position extending downwardly from said back to said seat and overlying the ends of said folded back and seat/ and said first mentioned link connections.

5. A chair of the character described, comprising a back, a seat arranged to abut against said back in set up position, and seat upholding hanger link connections between the lower portion of said back and the rear portion of said seat, and between the upper portion of said back and the front portion of said seat, arranged to support said seat in said set up position and to permit said seat to fold toward saidabaek with its lower side next to said ba'ckfsaad last mentioned link connections being spaced beyond the ends of said back and seat and said first ,v mentioned link connections to overlie the same when in said folded position.

6. A swing chair of the character described, comprising a back and a seat arranged to abut against said back in set up position, seat supporting links depending from back to seat in set up position, connecting bars extending downwardly from the upper portion of said back to the forward portion of said seat for supporting the latter, and suspending means at the upper and lower ends of said connecting bars, the suspending means at the lower ends of said bars being of greater length than the suspending means at the upper ends of said bars, so that said chair may be suspended from a support with its seat substantially horizontal when in set up position.

7. A chair of the character described, comprising a back, a seat arranged to abut against said back in set up position, and link connections between the front and rear edges of. said seat and said back arranged to support said seat in said set up position, and to permit said seat to swing outwardly and its rear edge to swing upwardly so that said seat may t'old against said back with its rear edge uppermost and its lower side next to said back, said rear link connections upholding the rear of the seat in cooperation with the abutment between seat and back.

8. A chair of the character described, comprising a back, a seat arranged to abut against said back in set up position, and depending hanger link connections between the front and rear edges of said seat and said back arranged to supportsaid seat in said set up position, and to permit said seat to swing outwardly and its rear edge to swing upwardly so that said seat may fold against said back with its rear edge uppermost and its lower side next to said back, said link connections extending lengthwise of the ends of said folded back and seat when in said folded position.

9. A chair of the character described, comprising a back, a seat arranged to abut against said back in set up position, and link connections between the front and rear edges of said seat and said back arranged to uphold said seat in said set up position, with rearward and downward swing of said connections stopped by the abutment of the seat against the back, and to permit said seat to fold against said back with said link connections extending lengthwise of the ends of said folded back and seat.

10. A chair of the character substantially as described, comprising'a back and a seat arranged to abut said back in set up position, said seat adapted to fold upwardly against said back, connections depending from the back to said seat, the rearward and downward swing of said connections limited by the abutment of said seat against the back in set up position.

11. A chair of the character described, comprising a back, and a seat arranged to abut against said back in set up position, said seat foldable upwardly against said back, links depending from said back to said seat, supporting and maintaining the seat in abutment against the back in set up position, the downward and rearward movement of said seat and links from folded position being stopped at set up position by the abutment of the seat against the back.

- EDGAR P. ELZEY. 

